Vehicle spotter drone

Abstract

A visual guidance system may include a drone having a sensor. The drone may be configured to autonomously position the sensor outside a vehicle with a line of sight to a current path of the vehicle to collect path data. The visual guidance system may also include a controller in communication with the sensor and configured to provide visual guidance to a vehicle operator based on the path data. Example methods of providing visual guidance may include autonomously positioning a sensor outside a vehicle using a drone such that the sensor has a line of sight to a current path of the vehicle to collect path data. Example methods may also include using a controller to determine visual guidance from the path data and provide the visual guidance to a vehicle operator.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A visual guidance system, comprising:
 a drone comprising a sensor, the drone configured to autonomously position the sensor outside a vehicle with a line of sight to a current path of the vehicle to collect path data by:
 determining a field of view of a vehicle operator; 
 determining a view angle of a contact patch position of one or more tires of the vehicle; 
 determining an overlap region of the field of view and the view angle; and 
 autonomously positioning the drone in the overlap region; and 
 
 a controller in communication with the sensor and configured to provide visual guidance to the vehicle operator based on the path data. 
 
     
     
       2. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual guidance includes a direction to guide the vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous positioning of the drone in the overlap region positions a display of the drone within the field of view of the vehicle operator. 
     
     
       4. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual guidance includes an image of the current path and a representation of a desired path overlaid upon the image. 
     
     
       5. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle display installed within the vehicle, the vehicle display configured to provide the visual guidance to the vehicle operator. 
     
     
       6. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the current path includes a contact between one or more tires of the vehicle and a surface being traversed by the vehicle. 
     
     
       7. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the drone is configured to autonomously maintain its position in the overlap region such that the sensor maintains the line of sight to the current path in response to movement of the vehicle along the current path. 
     
     
       8. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to determine a position of the drone and provide positioning instructions to the drone in response to the determined position of the drone, the positioning instructions including one or more of:
 a vehicle position of the vehicle; and 
 an obstacle position of one or more drone obstacles detected by the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       9. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the visual guidance based upon one or more of the contact patch position of the one or more tires of the vehicle, a contact patch orientation, a direction of the one or more tires, a steering angle of the vehicle, or a vehicle orientation. 
     
     
       10. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the path data includes one or more images of the current path. 
     
     
       11. The visual guidance system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the drone further comprises a display configured to display multiple visual indicators; and 
 the controller is configured to provide the visual guidance to the vehicle operator based on the path data by displaying at least one of the multiple visual indicators on the display of the drone. 
 
     
     
       12. A visual guidance system, comprising:
 a drone comprising a sensor and a drone display the drone configured to autonomously position itself outside a vehicle such that the sensor has a path line of sight to a current path of the vehicle to collect path data by:
 determining a field of view of an operator position within the vehicle; 
 determining a view angle of a contact patch position of one or more tires of the vehicle; 
 determining an overlap region of the field of view and the view angle; and 
 autonomously positioning the drone in the overlap region; and 
 
 a controller in communication with the sensor and configured to provide visual guidance based on the path data; 
 wherein the controller is configured to provide a first representation of visual guidance from outside the vehicle via the drone display; and 
 wherein the controller is configured to provide a second representation of the visual guidance inside the vehicle via an interior vehicle display. 
 
     
     
       13. The visual guidance system of  claim 12 , wherein the drone is configured to autonomously maintain its position in the overlap region such that the sensor maintains a line of sight to a current path in response to movement of the vehicle. 
     
     
       14. The visual guidance system of  claim 12 , wherein the visual guidance includes a direction to guide the vehicle from a current path to a desired path. 
     
     
       15. A method, comprising:
 autonomously positioning a sensor outside a vehicle using a drone such that the sensor has a line of sight to a current path of the vehicle to collect path data by:
 determining a field of view of a vehicle operator; 
 determining a view angle of a contact patch position of one or more tires of the vehicle; 
 determining an overlap region of the field of view and the view angle; and 
 autonomously positioning the drone in the overlap region; 
 
 using a controller, determining visual guidance from the path data; and 
 providing the visual guidance to the vehicle operator. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the autonomous positioning of the drone in the overlap region autonomously positions a display of the drone within the field of view of the vehicle operator. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising providing the visual guidance to the vehicle operator using a vehicle display installed within the vehicle. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising autonomously maintaining the drone in the overlap region such that the sensor maintains the line of sight to the current path in response to movement of the vehicle along the current path. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the visual guidance is determined based upon one or more of the contact patch position of the one or more tires of the vehicle, a contact patch orientation, a direction of the one or more tires, a steering angle of the vehicle, or a vehicle orientation.